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Keystone celebrates fall with Oktoberfest event

This year's Oktoberfest food vendors will include 9280, Der Fondue, Dos Locos, Inxpot, Kickapoo, Luigi's Pasta House, Mountain Top Cookie Shop, New Moon, Pizza on the Run, Snack Shack and Zuma Roadhouse. These restaurants in River Run Village will be making their own Bavarian sausage sliders, German dumplings, braised Sauerbraten sandwiches and more.
Ben Lindbloom / Special to the Weekender |

Oktoberfest food participants:

9280, Der Fondue, Dos Locos,

Inxpot, Kickapoo, Luigi’s Pasta House,

Mountain Top Cookie Shop, New Moon,

Pizza on the Run, Snack Shack and

Zuma Roadhouse

Labor Day weekend means the return of fall, and, with it, Keystone’s Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, Sept. 2. ’Tis the season for prosting, lederhosen wearing and plenty of beer stein sipping. Keystone Resort is rolling out the barrel first, with the first of many Summit County fall festivals this month. Oktoberfest in Keystone commences in the morning with a 5K running race in dirndls and lederhosen that finishes with a toast of “prost” and Oktoberfest beer for runners ages 21 and up. Join the rest of the costumed crowd, and earn your brat and beer.

The race starts and finishes in River Run Village with a course that takes runners along sections of Keystone’s bike path beside rolling hills, beneath mountaintops and along the Snake River. Bystanders will be cheering costumed racers along with cowbells, hurrying them along to the finish line, to allow more time for beer-drinking polka dancing and brat sampling.

Each runner receives a commemorative event t-shirt, goody bag and a brat and beer after the race. Costumes are encouraged for the race and the festival. Break out the typical Oktoberfest garb, or even a yeti costume, or anything else for the sake of creativity. There are prizes for top finishers across multiple age brackets and costume awards as well.



Not only do you benefit from the race, in getting your body ready for lots of beer and brats, but SOS Outreach will receive a portion of the proceeds from the Das Bier Burner 5K. SOS Outreach provides introductory outdoor programs, as well as long-term progressive outdoor programs that focus on positive adult mentorship, community engagement and leadership development.

“Through SOS programs, our youth are becoming more active, engaged members of the community, all while gaining valuable life skills and positive adult relationships.” said Joan Dieter, youth programs director at SOS Outreach. “A huge part of this has been our consistent involvement with the Das Bier Burner 5K race, championed by Summit Cove.”



Same-day registration will be available until 11:15 a.m., with the race kicking-off at noon. This is the fourth annual Bier Burner 5K, and is the very first part of the Oktoberfest revelry. The festival will welcome runners into River Run village, with the beer garden opening at 1 p.m., shortly after they finish. In the New Belgium beer garden, there will be 10 varieties of beer, including numerous seasonal beers, such as the Voodoo Atomic Pumpkin Ale.

In River Run Village all eat, drink and be merry. The Summit Concert Band will perform first, followed by three performances by Those Austrian Guys and traditional German dance performances from the Edelweiss Schuhplatters. Most of the restaurants in River Run Village will be serving German fare, featuring their takes on Bavarian sausage, German dumplings, braised sauerbraten sandwiches and more.

This Saturday Keystone will be filled with a lighthearted crowd of German merrymaking and prosting for the adults, and face painting, dancing and bounce house fun for the kids.


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